Stags' boss 'gutted' for travelling fans after game abandoned

15 December 2018

Stags’ boss David Flitcroft says he is ‘gutted’ for the 281 Mansfield fans that made the journey to The New Lawn this afternoon, after our Sky Bet League Two fixture against Forest Green Rovers was abandoned at half-time due to a waterlogged pitch.

The sides went into the break goalless, before it was announced over the stadium’s PA system that the game would not continue.

Despite his disappointment for the travelling Mansfield faithful, the Stags’ boss believes referee James Linington made the right decision to abandon the match.

“He [referee] gave it the best chance,” he said. “Watching the game, we were waiting for a mistake to be made. It might make good viewing for the neutral, but we’re trying to get three points off each other as two managers.

“At 0-0, the referee has made the right call. Once one of the teams goes 1-0 up, we’ve got a problem.

“In the first half we had mistake after mistake and they couldn’t run with the ball. The ball just stuck in a pool of water.

“The referee has made a professional decision. He’s called the game off and people won’t like it. The rain didn’t stop for 45 minutes.

“Sometimes you can’t blame anyone. It’s no one’s fault. That’s one thing we have no control over: this weather.

“We could’ve all been sat here in the 70th minute when the ball has stopped and someone has a broken leg. Do we all want that?

“I’m gutted that our travelling fans have come down and spent their money coming down here.

“That [game] was a farce. Us and Forest Green are among the best footballing sides in the league and we’re both asking for the ball to be punted forward.

"I’m gutted that our travelling fans have come down and spent their money coming down here."

David Flitcroft, manager

“One mistake and we go home without getting a fair and equal shout at three points and that’s what’s happened today.”

The manager also touched on goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik, who has sadly been ruled out for the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament rupture.

Stags’ stopper Conrad Logan started today’s match, and was the only alteration that the manager made from the side that beat Notts County 2-0 last week.

“I’ve just spoken to Pearcey [Krystian Pearce] there, and the three backpasses he’s given [to Logan], he’s almost had to chip it over the water,” he added.

“There was a save he [Logan] had to make and he came out quickly to make it. A successful season is built off your squad.

“What I spoke to Loges [Logan] about is how last season, Bobby [Olejnik] supported you impeccably. It was one of the best professional performances I’ve seen from a player.

“Bobby had options to go in the summer, and stayed with us. He said if he’s got a fair and equal opportunity of playing, he’s staying.

“I said to the players before the game that we had to carry Bobby’s values out on the pitch today.

“Logan got that half-time clean sheet that we demanded of him, and he demanded of himself.”

The manager also gave an injury update on striker Craig Davies, who was absent from the squad this afternoon.

“He [Davies] has gone for a scan, because his ankle has been troubling him. They’ve detected some floating bone in there, some fragments.

“That’s been hampering on his movement and drive off his ankle joint. We’ll explore the injury and see where it comes out.

“Probably on Tuesday, I’ll have a definitive on how long he might be out. It’s really important for us to know that and understand that.”